Strength-testing machine



' Sept, 2 1943. J, JANSEN 2,330,492

STRENGTH-TESTING MACHINE Fil'eq Aug. 27, 1940 s Sheets-Sheet. 1

wee/ctr? (/bkra 6 (fa/aserz/ Se t. 28, 1943'.

JANSEN STRENGTH-TESTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 27, 1940 S Sheets-Sheet 2 WijTiJ lllIL fez/e (/Zm GJQILSGIZ Sept. 28, 1943. :1. G. JANSEN 2,330,492

I STRENGTH-TESTING MACHINE Filed Aug; 27, 19.40 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Sept. 28, 1943 uNireo STATES -.2,ss0,492 STRENGTH-TESTING .Mrionma F John 1G. dansen, Chicago,llll. Application au ust 27, 19 i0,-.sefiai-No.$54,425:? 9 Claims '(olazes z'ei l/ly invention relates-to strength testing machines of the type which are coin-controlled, andwhich contain means for muscle, grip andpu-l-lup tests, and my main object is to devise a m-a- 1 chine which provides two degrees of resistance for the several tests, so that children and persons of light weight or build may encounter. a given range of resistance, while men or more re bust persons may encounter a range of'higher An important object of the inventionis to.:de-

sign the novel machine with units which are sturclily built and follow efficient mechanical principles.

With the above objects in view and a'nyoth'ers which may suggest themselves from the description to follow, a better; understandingof the 'in-'. vention may be had by reference .tothe accom pan-yin-g drawings, in which-'- Fig. 1 13-2. front elevation of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View;

Fig. 3 is a right-hand partsectional side view of the main portion of the machine show-ing its interior;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig.,3,-ta-ken from the left-hand side;

Fig. la isa bottom supplement of Hi 41-011 a reduced scale;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Figmfi; Fig. '7 is a duplication of the left-hand upper corner of Fig.6, in the form of a section taken;

substantially on'the line 1-! of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 8 is a section onthe-line 5-8 of Fig. Referring specificallytozthe drawings, :l'iiyde notes the housing of the machine, the.-same.-l 1av ing a tall base H. When approaching the ma-- chine from the front, two laterally-spaced knobsstem 49 tormed-ewith; avertical :eross oiri 12-0, 1115 adapted. to be. :draw.n; f;rom,-the Iull line toztheadote ted lineepositiDtLfiinfEig: 4; jhis isypal-led a-grip test, and; a suitable .connection within the ma, chine;,-transmits the action to :thepointer; J35, Belowua ndz in-"K911i? of .-the,- ase this a-stand 2-.| inwhich a red .-2,2 i s;v ertically disposed rand-capped with a -;handle. :23. The -.-latter. is for ithefpull up test; gsuitableeconnections.@fromethe'trod 2:2 ZQX- tending. to ;;the.;pointer L5 to register "thisaajction. The testing. nnitsso .fa-rtdescribed;, and z their-.creh a tive positions areponventional- ,inmachines, act this typfiand are-therefore: not broadlytnew;

x relation: ;to FIDHEJIIJMSCIB tester; ,thezshainks 3 thereofqextend into, thep-front .of, thevmachinezt be ;1!igid-1y gconnectedto a. pairnoj {sturdy farms-r215. Each of these armssis; formedwith a;Ti'ebase 216; the junction :with which receives arscrewz fl idirected: into. the :front lot 'the ,housingto; piuotajlly dispose the; anm+.-.-2,5 avitkumthe .sa'me; .Ilhe outer end-,ofeeach base 46; is bi-fiurcatedzzas indicated-tat I2 are seen, these having shanks I3. passing through arcuate slots 54 in the frontwall of the bar F8 in cooperation with which a horizontal shiatt: 1i isl'. slide opeiateslaldiig, i; ang

26a; to; receive a; crossi-pirr .2-8. :GIL'rWhiCh :lS'? suspended. .theiuppersend; 2-9 of a'.-izertical coil-spring I s'aIiiefigu-re, the ins rt will rock-tow other'on th' fiiv" 21, the r-ight-haind rm'draw ing'npo'ri the'r'e ea spring 343E61 "si nifies-mi the-action, anti e ieft hairid triii at --s'imny V rpos of the" latter to, holtl -t'herlatd- 'spiiirl g -38 Q a substantially vertical terms-1y er in; theftest 'justdesci e'd: ffiowir'ifll lia eda' second hoemeiike themb ker-mir with plai; side bend fer-its head; subhhead teitigdpjposite:thei'loiveriend. :Qftli' rela spring Thus; should. this spring b ii'sneti toward'the i'eh't; ,itsyidwerlend w ll ie uiid 'r the header the-basket: "Then; whenj "the test is'iapplietl in resistance will be ,doubledt'hroii 'hithe iric iisia'n of theIleft-hanil sp'm thereof enters the bar 41' tajectih'g"renter-anytime" the front ten of the homing and braced by an upright 42 bolted at 43 to a rib 44 rising from the floor or bottom 45 of the housing. The slide 4|] has an abutment 46 as its rear motion limit, the abutment being secured to the angle bar 4| by a screw 47. The side of the bar 4| is made with a horizontal slot 48 through which a bolt 49 carried by the slide passes to receive a nut 50 at its outer end. A coil spring is connected between the bolt 49 and a hook 52, the hook having a screw shank 53 passing through a bracket 54 to receive a securing nut 55, the bracket being connected by a screw 56 to the junction of a horizontal frame bar 51 with the upright 42. It will now be apparent that drawing the cross-pin 2!) forward for the grip test will pull on the spring 5| for resistance.

In the above case, also, a double resistance is provided by the addition of a companion spring 58 more clearly seen in Fig. 3. The rear end of this spring is connected by a bracket 59 to the screw 55 at the junction previously referred to, while the front end of the spring 58 is connected to an arm 6| which is mounted loosely at the bottom on a bolt 62 which passes through the rib 44 to receive a securing nut 63. A spring 64 is inserted between the arm 6| and the head of the bolt, whereby to enable the arm to pivot away from the rib 44 without becoming loose. The arm is drawn away from the rib by a coil spring Fig. 3, but which may be drawn forward to the dotted line position the same figure when the change is desired. The ring 80 is at the front end of a horizontally positioned U-shaped rod 8| whose arms are slidable in the bracket 67 extended from the frame bar 57. Fig. 6 shows the rod 5| in its rear position by means of full lines. It is apparent that the arms of the red are peripherally-grooved at 82 near the back of the rod. Thus, when the rod is drawn forward by means of the ring 85 to the dotted line position in Fig. 6, the grooved portions 82 are designed to catch in the bracket 5'! and form stops for the .forward motion of the rod. Of course, these 65 whose remote end is connected at B6 to a bracket 61 extended from the frame bar 57. The arnrfil terminates with a finger 68 at the top which, according to the normal position of the arm BI is at one side of a block 69 carried by the slide 44. Thus, should the arm 6| be moved toward the slide against the tension of thespring 65, the finger 58 will assume a position directly in front of the block 69. Now, when the grip test is taken, the forward motion of the slide will also draw, through the medium'of the arm 6| on the companion spring 58, doubling the resistance to the grip. Incidentally, the arm 6| would now pivot from the rear to the fronton the bolt .62.

As to the pull-up test, the rod 22 is noted in Fig/id as depending into the frontal stand 2|, making connection at its lower end with an arm 70 which is medially pivoted at H in ,a standard '52. The rear end of the arm 10 is connected to an upright rod 13 in a manner to draw downwardly upon the same when the pull-up handle 23 in front is actuated. Fig, 4 shows more clearly that the downward action of the rod 73 is resisted by a large spring 14 coiled around the rod between securing means 75 near the top thereof and the floor of the housin Ill. The upper end portion of the rod 'I3 makes a pivotal connection T5 with one end of a. cam 'il, the medial portion of the cam being horizontally pivoted on a bolt 18 driven into the angle bar 4|. The profile of the cam 11 is opposite 'a peripherallygrooved nut 19 mounted on the bolt 49, so that the counter-clockwise rotation of the cam T| as viewed in Fig. 4-in response to the downward The change from the single to the double re-' sistance for the testing units is controlled by a ring 80 whose normal position is close to the front of the'housing as indicated by full lines in stops are not positive, as they will yield to rearward pressure upon the ring 88 when the same is to be restored to its original position.

lhe left-hand arm of the rod 8|as seen in Figs. 5 and 6 carries a blade [13 from which is projected a V-shaped arm 84 whose forward end is close to the left-hand side of the left-hand spring 30. When the ring is pulled forward, the arm 84 advances to bear on the side of the spring 353 in the manner of a cam, so that when the arm 84 is in the dotted line position of Fig. 6 it has pushed the spring 38 toward the right to engage the hook and furnish the double resistance to the gathering of the muscle-test arms 25, as previously described.

The other, or centrally located arm of the rod 8| is made with a flat and tapering end portion 85, as shown in 7. this portion of the arm lying against the left-hand side of the arm 6|. Thus, when the rod 8| is pulled forward by the ring 86, the tapered portion 85 bears on the arm 6| in the manner of a cam toforce it to the position in front of the slide block 69 as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 8. Now, the companion spring 55 is brought into play for the doubled resistance to the grip test and added resistance to the pull up test, as previously described.

The pointer i5 is mounted on a. spindle journaled in brackets 9| and 92 attached to the front wall of the housing. Inwardly of the bracket 9|, the spindle carries a disk 93 whose hub 94 is rigidly secured to the spindle by a set screw 95. A spring 96 extends from the set screw to a suitable bracket hook 91 for the purpose of resisting the rotation of the disk 93 in a counter-. clockwise relation as seen in Fig. 5. The front of the disk has spaced studs 98 and 99, the spring 96 normally holding the disk in a manner to place the stud 98 against one side of the bracket 9|. However, when the disk is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction per Fig. 5, its limit of rotation will be reached when the stud 99 meets the other side of the bracket. As seen in Fig. 5, the back of the disk 93 is made with a circular series of teeth H30, these tripping a detent liH which is spring-backed as indicated at I02. The detent is pivoted with its lower end in the bracket 92, so as to be rockable in a rearward direction on the slight rearward pressure of a button ma whose spindle I04 passes through the front wall of the housing to meet the detent llll. Thus, in case the disk 93 has been rotated V in the counterclockwise direction per Fig. 5 to a given point, a slight pressure on the button I03 will cause the detent IGI to relax its pressure on the disk, in which event the spring 96 will quickly draw the same around to the origswung to a givenpoint along the scale H, the

estates end is suppcrted fromthe said-front wen s immediate" return of the pointei to theorigin of its' -tr'avel or zero 'on 1;he sea1e wi11 be ace-om: plishedb'y'merely p-ressing' the button H133 'rhe spindle 9fl carries' asuitable tripping deVic eJ-IM for'the hammer W5 i a -bell I96, so that the bell may bestruck wheh the ipointer I has swung to a predetermined forward limit on the scale [1.

The rotation of the disk93 in'the counterclockwise direction as seen in Fig. -5=isprimarily procured by means of a chain IID rising overa pulley II I which is mounted'alongside the bracket 92. lhe lowerend of the chain is secured to an eye screw I I2 :carried by apin H3 extending hack from the inner base portion oftheright-hand arm 25, such pin passing throughan'open slot Ill- I in'the inner base portion of the companion arm 25. lThus, the down swing of the-said'inner base portions in response to thegather-of the arms 25 will cause the pin IIZi to descend and pull on the chain Hm Above the pulley III the chain rises to the left-hand sideoi the spindle Silas seen. in'Fign. 3 and is trained toward the right. over a sleeve M5 freelymounted on the spindle behind th hub- 9 L of the disk 93! Spacedly behind the sleeve II-5 a block H6 is made. fastto the spindle, such block havinga forward studlll. Likewise, the rear -end of-the sleeve H5 has a stud H8. When the sleeve-is rotated in a counter-clockwise directionthestud II 8 meets the stud I H from behind and'th-usimpinges on the block III; rte-cause the rotation of the spindle in the "same direction. The chain Ill-ll, as trained overthe'sleeve a, -is-s'ecured on the opposite side thereof to astudl I9. 'lhus, the down-pull on the chain serves to rotate the spindle, but the loose connection of the sleeve H5 between studs IISand ill: enables the chain tobe pulled up againflwithout effecting 'the extent ,to which the spindle has been rotated. this mannenthe reading'on thedial remains sta tionary after. the muscle test has been relaxed. Invorder that the chain I-Iil may be-kept' taut--21: spring I29 is extended from thestud I'I Ilto a'suit able connection I2I on theframe.

In order that the gripand pull uptests may" also: register on the dial, a connection from the slide fill is'made to the chain Mil. -'Ihus-, a screw eye I22 is mounted on the slide forthe connec== tiorr of thel'ower-end of-a'chain I2 3; 'Ihelatter passes under a pulley- I2'4 'carriedby' theangle bar 3 I- to rise in-the direction-'of'the' chain III! and be connected theretoin front of thep'ulle'y I II. A light spring I25 from the bracketSZ su's' pends the chain I23 against a tendency to slaclierl on the retraction of the'slide.

In order that thearcuateslots i l" in the frtuit of the housing may Ice-closedtddi'scourage tampering, plates l'tfi'behind the"front'wall arep'rovided as covers for the slots. Each'pla'te is pivoted on a'screwI'2"l, and has a slot mirror the hook M-3 in thedirection of -'-such cam; a pin I i'B coil spring I31. 'I,'he ends of the rocker bar are notched as" indicatedat I 38150 form-seats forf rearwere etuds faeprojeeting fr m tiie'upper portions of the arms-25; shchstuds-servmgas Iiiii'its'to the rocking of the bar F34 ecuntereciockwise direction; -Howevi,-"wheh*the rocker bar is 'so positionedfit forms end-stops forthe 'studs {I39 to prevent-- thegatherihg action of the arms '25;

On the -otherhand,'When therocker tar isactw ated for'as'hort distance in -a clockwisejdirection;

it--releasesthestudsrsdthat the'arm's 25 'rriayb eaheredw g Ordinarily; *t hef rotker ba'r I34 is maintained in the locking position for the studs ISQhylieiriig' supported at its Weightedehd. The "supportconsists' ar a detene I40which extends along the rear side of the i'ockeiWarNM {and is medial y pivotedon the 'piiit35; a'he detefit 'MIl'is weighted atfoi'ie end as indicatdat M I such end being cpptsite frcm tne-j cheat-winch 1 thef rocker bar #34 is Weighted; "Thed'etent nermaHy rests at theweighted end m thereiated stud 1-39; being formed with e-fiared'rece'ss Her this purpose;

The opposite endtf'the-detent-is pointed-and normally forms" a-suppcrt one ho'ek "Ms-which forms an upward extension of the paddle 2 [32. The hook M3 therefore "serves" tdhold the weighted end-' of the rocker bar 1 -34; The latter" has its medial arm I-34'aseated in 'a sidefslot MW l-sl strike-the paddle I 32 with suincient" force to swing the'same inward-1y, so as to both create a space-for the-coin-to drop into the bottom of' thehoming-hndbhk'the'hook Off the (16 tent [46. With the -rbcker-bar I34 30"diVSI7d of its suspension fromthe detent I40, the ro'ck'er bar will swing inaclockwisefii'rection to a sufficient extent-torelease the studs' I39 for inward travel. The I rocking acne-nae the rocker bar" will-atthe same time swing its-"pendent arm 134a out of-theslideslot' I44; releasing "the" slide for its iorwa rd 'iriovement.

The testingunit's-may no-w'be'operated. 'How=' ever, the testing movm'er'its' are employedas they advance to l-ock the inacl'iine against a: rfe'peti 1 tion Of *the testsuntif the "next-"26m" 1185"138611 deposited. I

-Itis'r iot'ed that'tlie pointed eiidpf the I d'etent Mt is roundec-arrderneathas indicated at- MB, and the hook- M3 is ex=- to form a 'r is ing ca tended i-nw'ardl y wi'tha"wei-ht M1 to urge the from theportion IWserVing 1 asan inward limit for i the swing of: the hook.- -Now,- as the muscle test'is taken, the left-hand stud I39-*-'-as-s'een in Fig. 5"urges the "cletent vipw'a'rdly'-lcyaction against the inner wall oi' the slot M2 that the pointed end of the detentis soonloweredto" the extent ofbeingagain caught by the hook "M3: The Weight of the hook -and enlargement PEG- ie now over-balanced by the weight M l-g so that the;

studs, I39 are again locked, and'th'e paddle is back in it normal place'underthe chute.

lated stud I39 in case of a thearm25. I I

The mechanism just described procures the resetting of the hook M3 by the clockwise move mentof the detent. The samemovement is induced by a spring backedrod .l5l extending from the slide block 69 to the weighted side of the detent MU, where mama makesconnection by entering sidewise into a' bolt head I52 secured to the detent. The advance of; the slide for a grip or pull-up test ow, acts in the same manher as the inward movement of the muscle-test arms 25, that is, to lift the weighted portion of the detent. Thespring backing I53 of the rod I51 is of course provided to prevent hardship when the advance of the slide is prolonged.

The arrangement described'above, while conventional in basic respects, is novel in the relation of its units to simply and conventionally interpose the extra resistance for allthe tests, by the simple pul1 of an auxiliary knob. I In addition, a. simple coin control is employed which is self-locking and resetting irrespective of the positicn of the machine, so that tampering with or abuse of the machine is prevented. While the parts involved may seem fairly numerous, they are asfew as can be employed to accomplish all the objects and operations of the machine, and they are of a nature to operate efficiently over a long period Without the need of attention or repair. No mechanism is under tension while the machine is not in use, so that adjustments or replacements are not necessary from time to time. Finally, the mechanism is compactly grouped, and occasions no radical increase in cost over machines of a similarnature.

While I have described the invention along specific lines, various minor changes and refinements may be. made without departing from its principle, and I desire to consider all such changes and refinements as comingwithin the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

I claim: 7

1. In a strength-testing machine, means movable by human efiorir a resistance to the movement of said means, a second resistance, and a prolonged advance of mechanism to connect the second resistance to augment the first one, said means comprising a pair of arms having a concerted movement, a support for the arms, the first resistance comprising a spring from one of the arms leading and permanently attached to the support, said second resistance comprising a spring leading from the other arm to the support without being attached thereto, the support including a hook in the lateral path of the related end of the second mentioned spring, said mechanism comprising a manually operable shifter for said second mentioned spring to shift the same into engagement with said hook, and means to normally retain the second mentioned spring against the hook-engaging movement.

2. In a strength-testing machine, means mov.

able by human effort, a resistance to the movement of said means, a second resistance, and a mechanism to connect the second resistance .to augment the first one, said means comprising a pair of arms having a concerted movement,v a support for the arms, the first resistance comprising a spring 11011'10118 of the arms leading and permanently attached to the support, said second resistance comprising aspring leading from the other arm to the support without being attached thereto, the support includin a hook in the lateral path of the related end ofsthe second mentioned'spring, said mechanism comprising a; mam ually operable shifter for said second mentioned spring to shift the same into engagement with said hook, and a light spring, directed from the hook-engaging end of the second mentioned spring tothe support to normally retain the second mentioned spring against the hook-engaging movement. l

3. In a strength testing machine, a housing, a pair of arms inside the same and having a, concerted; movement, a pair of manually-actuated controls outside the housing and connected throughthe same to the respective arms, a spring leading from one of thearms to the housing and serving as a resistance to said movement, a second spring leading from theother arm to the housing without being attached thereto, a hand control outside the housing, and means inside the latter and operable by said hand control to attach the second spring to the housing and impose an added resistance to said movement.

, 4. The structureof claim 3, the housing having a hook in the lateral path of the free end of said second spring, and said means comprising a shifter effective on the second spring to engage its free end with said hook.

5. The structure of claim 3, the housing having a hook in the lateral path of the free end of said second spring, said hand control comprising a pull-knob extended into the housing with a rod, and said means comprising an oblique cam positioned alongside the second spring, the pull of said knob causing said cam to impart a lateral urge on the adjacent spring and engage the free 1 end thereof with said hook.

o. In a strength testing machine, a muscle-test unit involving a pair of arms having a joint lateral movement, a support, a spring from one arm to the support and constituting a resistance to said movement, a second spring from the other arm and attachable to the support to constitute an added resistance to said movement, a grip-test unit involving a bar having a forward movement, a third spring from said bar to the support and constituting a resistanceto said forward movement, a fourth spring from the support to a point alongside the bar, a carrier for the free end of the fourth spring and movable to a position in the path of the bar to constitute the fourth spring an added resistance to its movement, a hand control, and means operable by the latter to concurrently attach the'second spring to the support and move the carrier as stated, whereby to impose added resistance to both units by means of the single control.

7. The structure of claim 6, said hand control having a single operative movement.

8. The structure of claim 6, said hand control comprising a pull rod, and a pair of cams carried by the pull rod, one cam being effective on the operation of the rodto urge the second spring into attachment with the support, and the other cam acting at the same time to crowd the carrier into the position subject to interception by said 1 ar.

9. In a strength testing machine, a muscle-test unit involving a pair of arms having a joint lateral movement, a support, a spring from one arm to the support and constituting a resistance to said movement, asecond spring from the other arm and attachable to the support to constitute an added resistance to said movement, a grip-test unit involving a bar having a forward movement, a third spring from said bar to the support and -constituting a resistance to said forward moveadvance the same against the resistance of said third spring, a hand control, and means operable by the latter to concurrently attach the second spring to the support and move the carrier as stated, whereby to impose added resistance to the three units by means of the single control.

JOHN G. JANSEN. 

